Life was a little different for the Rev. Philip Cunningham when he was in his 20s and early 30s.

For the last 13 years, the California native, now 48, has had a winding journey across the country and found his way to Delafield as the rector at St. John Chrysostom Episcopal Church. Additionally, Cunningham serves as a captain and chaplain in the U.S. Air Force.

Four years into his service at the historic Delafield church next to St. John's Northwestern Military Academy, Cunningham, his wife, Amy, and children, Auggie and Meredith, have found a home in Lake Country.

A resident of Oconomowoc, Cunningham entered the seminary at Nashotah House. Cunningham graduated in 2008 and three years later joined the Texas Air National Guard. He joined the Wisconsin Air National Guard in 2014.

"That's one of the few positions you can be an old man in," said Cunningham, who was 41 at the time.

Philip Cunningham (right), a Delafield chaplain and captain in the Air Force, was deployed to Qatar earlier this year.(Photo: Submitted)

Changing paths

When he was 35, Cunningham decided to leave his job in corporate finance.

With two young children at the time, the path to becoming a priest was an unknown, but something Cunningham felt compelled to do.

"Looking back on it, it seems like, 'How did we do that? It just seems insane,'" Cunningham said. "But at the time it's like, 'Yeah, we're going to move across the country with no job. I'm going to go to school for three years.'"

A friend of Cunningham's father, who was a Presbyterian minister and international guardsman, initially suggested Cunningham should serve as a chaplain in the military.

"This was about the time I was going out to seminary," Cunningham said. "Every time he would talk to my dad, he was like, 'Hey, if Philip ever wants to sign up, you just let him know.' Finally, I was in San Antonio and he emailed me and said, 'There's a great base right there in San Antonio.' I thought, 'I'm really out of excuses.' It was kind of his persistence."

Last January, Cunningham was deployed to Qatar, a Middle Eastern country along the Arabian Peninsula. He returned in July.

"The emotions were mixed," Cunningham said. "I missed my family, but I was kind of excited because that's what I trained to do. Your job as a chaplain is supposed to be out with the troops."

Cunningham described the area he was deployed in as "a safe place in a bad neighborhood." While deployed, Cunningham was assigned a group on the base and would tend to different tasks when needed.

"Being an effective chaplain a lot of times means nothing happened," Cunningham said. "It means this troop that is having a bad day, you were able to stop and make things better, and they did their job."

Cunningham's responsibilities included supporting the free exercise of religion on the base to all military personnel.

"Ramadan was going on while we were there, and there were Muslims on base, so we had to make sure they had everything they needed," Cunningham said. "During Passover, we had to order things for the Jewish community so they could celebrate Passover. It's any religion."

Though the work he did in Qatar was important, missing certain events like graduations and birthdays was difficult.

"The hardest thing I missed was my son graduating from high school," Cunningham said. "They did live stream it from Oconomowoc (High School) so I got to watch that."

A wonderful place

Every month when he was deployed, Cunningham wrote a letter to his congregation to keep them informed. In another four years, Cunningham could be deployed once again.

St. John Chrysostom Church was built in 1853 and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1972.

"It's really a wonderful place," Cunningham said. "It's funny because I was talking to one of my friends saying, 'I always just wanted to be a country parson, walk around the town and greet people.' He was like, 'You kind of have that here.' I kind of do have that here, don't I?"

St. John Chrysostom Church in Delafield was built in 1853. Its rector, Philip Cunningham, was deployed to Qatar earlier this year.(Photo: Submitted)

Kendall Kontranowski, 10, of Delafield, takes a selfie with her mom Kristin during the annual Delafield Tree Lighting event on Friday, Nov. 16, 2018. The event, hosted by the City of Delafield Tourism, featured live music, free cookies, hot cocoa and more. Scott Ash/Now News Group

A flag reflects on the bell of a horn as the 132nd Wisconsin Army National Guard Band performs at the seventh annual Operation Honor: A Salute to Veterans in Waukesha on Saturday, Nov. 10, 2018. Scott Ash/Now News Group

Catholic Memorial sets up for a kickoff in a swirl of snow during WIAA Division 3 Level 4 play against New Berlin Eisenhower Nov. 9 at Kettle Moraine. The Crusaders defeated the Lions, 41-14, to punch their ticket to the state title game. C.T. Kruger/Now News Group

Homestead's bench empties as the final seconds tick down in the Highlanders' 51-14 victory over Brookfield Central in the Division 2 state championship game at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison on Nov. 16, 2018. C.T. Kruger/Now News Group

Delafield's Clock Tower Square is filled with color during the annual Delafield Tree Lighting event on Friday, Nov. 16, 2018. The event, hosted by the City of Delafield Tourism, featured live music, free cookies, hot cocoa and more. Scott Ash/Now News Group

Runner and walkers pause for the Star Spangled Banner before the start of the Kelly Johnson Foundation's first Turkey Trot 5K Run/Walk at Mitchell Park on Nov. 24. The Foundation helps make college more affordable for hard working students. C.T. Kruger/Now News Group

Maddie (right) and Charlie Steffenhagen wait for thousands of lights to illuminate and for Santa to arrive as part of Greendale's annual Tree Lighting in front of Village Hall on Nov. 23. C.T. Kruger/Now News Group

New Berlin Eisenhower sophomore Adam Joda reaches for the ball during the WIAA Division 2 state championship match against Oregon on Saturday at Uihlein Soccer Park in Milwaukee. Scott Ash/Now News Group

Allison Young and Chris Henley (right) watch the first South Milwaukee Lions Club Lighted Christmas Parade roll along 15th Avenue near City Hall on Nov. 24 that followed the Old Fashioned Christmas festivities at City Hall. C.T. Kruger/Now News Group

Campbell Young works on a design for a bridge that she and siblings Rhett and Adeline would build using newspaper, yard and pipe cleaners to span a tub during a STEAM - science, technology, engineering, art and math - program at the Menomonee Falls Library on Nov. 14. C.T. Kruger/Now News Group

Nicolet junior Jalen Johnson rises for a dunk during a practice on Nov. 19. Johnson is one of nation's top-ranked players in the Class of 2020. He transferred from Sun Prairie at the start of the school year. Curt Hogg/Now News Group

Utezi Kalunbula, 6, mans his booth offering triangle games during the Cloud 9 Workshop's Kidpreneur Fair that featured 15 children in grades 1 through 5 selling products they created. C.T. Kruger/Now News Group

Pam Behrend transfers turkey into a chaffing dish pan for serving to an anticipated 400 diners at the Christ the King Lutheran Church's seventh annual Thanksgiving Gathering on Nov. 21. C.T. Kruger/Now News Group

Village of Fox Point employees provide waste collection services from residents' driveways, along with yard waste collection and roadside leaf removal in the fall. Recycling collection is contracted out to a company. C.T. Kruger/Now News Group

A child's teepee in a second floor bedroom at the 26th annual Christmas Fantasy House with 18 rooms decorated by more than 16 area decorators for benefit Ronald McDonald House Charities Eastern Wisconsin. The Fantasy house will be open 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Nov. 9, and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Nov. 10 and 11. Parking and shuttle to the House is at Ridgewood Baptist Church, 2720 Lilly Road, Brookfield. Tickets are $20 at the door. C.T. Kruger/Now News Group

Senior Trang Mau checks a box before sealing it for the Samaritan’s Purse Operation Christmas Child project. Members of the Sussex Hamilton Junior Optimist International club packed shoebox-sized containers with toys, clothing, personal care and other items on Nov. 7 as part of a service project with the Sussex/Lisbon/Lannon Optimist Club. C.T. Kruger/Now News Group

Nicolet's Kobe Johnson rises up for a layup over Sonny Phinisee during practice on Nov. 19. Johnson, along with his older brother, Jalen, transferred from Sun Prairie at the beginning of the school year. Curt Hogg/Now News Group

The Cedarburg Civic Band performs during Cedarburg's annual tree lighting ceremony at the Community Center on Monday, Nov. 26, 2018. The event, hosted by Cedarburg Chamber of Commerce, features make-and-take crafts, cookies, cider, music, caroling and a visit from Santa to light the tree. Scott Ash/Now News Group

Acupuncture needles are placed in Elba Rodriquez's forehead in a point that calms the body, and in the ears to balance the body's four planes by Acupuncturist Vashir Xiong in the Aurora West Allis Medical Center emergency department on Nov. 20. C.T. Kruger/Now News Group

Marquette running back Daeleon Brown-Williams (12) is stopped by Muskego defenders at the goal line on forth down in the third quarter during the WIAA Division 1 Level 4 playoff game on Friday, Nov. 9, 2018. Scott Ash/Now News Group

Milwaukee band Ocean Rush performs during the second annual "Lighting of The Corners" in Brookfield on Saturday, Nov. 17, 2018. The event features live music, photos with reindeer, holiday crafts, a visit from Santa and the Winter Princesses, and the lighting of a 30-foot tree. Scott Ash/Now News Group

Waukesha West sophomore Anna Holland (4) jumps for joy as the Wolverines celebrate their quarterfinal win over Arrowhead at the WIAA state girls volleyball tournament on Thursday, Nov. 1. Curt Hogg/Now News Group

Six-year-old Hadley Andrew of Delafield takes a closer look at an ornament during the annual Delafield Tree Lighting event on Friday, Nov. 16, 2018. The event, hosted by the City of Delafield Tourism, featured live music, free cookies, hot cocoa and more. Scott Ash/Now News Group

Mitchel Griep of CenterPointe Boat Services hands off a flat of foodstuffs to Karen Semrad from a boat used to transport a major food donation to the Pewaukee Food Pantry at Gethsemane United Methodist Church on Nov. 21. CenterPointe collected donations from customers and transported a collection by Pewaukee's Asa Clark Middle School that the students had presorted by type and date. C.T. Kruger/Now News Group

Volunteer Myrna Ebling of Cedarburg serves up a delicious bowl of soup during the Empty Bowls fundraising event at the Ozaukee Pavilion in Cedarburg on Thursday, Nov. 1, 2018. Proceeds from the event will benefit Family Sharing's food pantry and provide 600 Ozaukee County families with Thanksgiving dinners. Scott Ash/Now News Group

Navy Veteran Dick Garvy of Oconomowoc salutes the flag while attending the veterans recognition and remembrance assembly at Oconomowoc High School on Friday, Nov. 9, 2018. The event was organized by OHS student Hans Schiefelbein as he works to become an Eagle Scout. Scott Ash/Now News Group

Pius XI head coach Hansi Herzog hoists the gold ball as his team celebrates winning the the WIAA Division 3 state soccer title with a 3-1 win over McFarland on Saturday at Uihlein Soccer Park in Milwaukee. Scott Ash/Now News Group